Environmental Stewardship Committee
Hey there! Ever wondered about the environmental stewardship of BCT? Well, there’s a committee for that – the BCT Environmental Stewardship Committee (BCT ESC). It’s one of the many newly formed BCT committees to help maintain and support our beloved Bragg Creek (BC) trails. The inaugural meeting for the BCT ESC was held this past May and members consist of representatives from BCT and various local environmental groups.
BCT ESC’s purpose and objectives are to provide recommendations, guidance and educational information for BC trail management, BC operations activities, and trail user education to protect the local watershed, wildlife and wildlife habitat.
The key to good stewardship is protective mitigation between recreationalists and wildlife. Using the best available data on trails’ use, trail users and wildlife habitat relationships and movement patterns can help to identify areas of highest conflict. This, in turn, helps identify and encourage beneficial management practicesthat allow keystone species to co-exist and thrive as they move through an increasingly busy landscape dominated by recreationalists. An example of this type of work is the recent installation of the pond leveler. The leveler was installed in August 2023 to help prevent future flooding on Mountain Road, a main artery trail, while allowing the resident beavers to thrive and continue with their good ecosystem engineering work. Other issues the committee will be focusing on include climate change adaptation, weed control, and nature-based education for all BCT users.
Have you noticed the recent planting near the edge of the Bragg Creek on either side of the South PRA bridge. On November 2nd, Flora Giesbrecht from the Elbow River Watership Partnership (ERWP) and Brett Schritt from Leaf Ninjas coordinated a group of 14 volunteers to harvest willows and plant native shrubs and trees in this area to improve habitat and water quality. This area is designated as critical habitat for Bull Trout, and the bank area on both sides of the creek has been heavily impacted by users, resulting in significant erosion, while the remaining soil was compacted, with large areas of bare/non-vegetated ground. These conditions can impact water quality, fish habitat and increase the risk of spreading Whirling Disease. Thanks to the efforts of the volunteers who came out to plant, and the guidance from the ERWP and Leaf Ninjas, the health of this area will improve. With the native plantings success, this restoration effort will be a key step in helping to restore the health of this critical riparian area and Native Bull Trout habitat. To maximize the plants establishment, temporary fencing was installed on both sides of the creek.
If you’re interested in helping to restore and give back to BCT’s cherished natural space, learn from experts, engage in hands-on activities, and connect with like-minded individuals who share a passion for environmental stewardship, keep checking the BCT newsletter and social media for opportunities to make a positive impact and deepen your connection to the Elbow.
Want to learn more about riparian restoration? Please join the ERWP and others for an online lunchtime webinar on Wednesday, January 10th, 2024. Please email Flora at coordinator@erwp.org for details.
